The goal of our program is to train and to develop outstanding physician-scientists in otolaryngology--head and neck surgery. Our specialty requires multidisciplinary approaches for the understanding and treatment of communication disorders and diseases of the head and neck. In order to meet this objective, our residents need to be educated in both clinical and research skills. Research training is a key element to our training program because it serves as a means to enhance critical thinking skills, to strengthen the understanding of scientific and medical literature, to provide training in investigative techniques, and to develop the ability to pose testable hypotheses. One outstanding feature of our current training program is that each year, two residents embark in our now-established 7-year track. This track provides 2 years of continuous research training where research opportunities include, but are not limited to, topics in molecular biology of head and neck cancers, basic mechanisms of dizziness and balance, studies of the auditory nervous system, and clinical outcomes. The strength of this training plan is measurable by the breadth and experience of the involved faculty. The success of the training program is evident in the accomplishments of those otolaryngologists who have completed their training on this sequence and who are now building successful academic careers.